honestly

adverb

hon·​est·​ly ˈä-nəst-lē How to pronounce honestly (audio)
1
: in an honest manner: such as
a
: without cheating
counted the ballots honestly
b
: really, genuinely
was honestly scared
c
: without frills
food honestly prepared
2
: to be honest : to tell the truth
honestly, I don't know

Examples of honestly in a Sentence

Officials counted the votes honestly. The bank has always dealt honestly with me. I can honestly say that I have never seen that man before today. He spoke honestly about the mistakes he had made. She honestly believes that she has been mistreated.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
And honestly, Evans’ hot takes rarely rise above room temperature. Rick Stroud, The Orlando Sentinel, 7 July 2025 As The Change Room panel spoke menopause—openly, honestly, and without shame. Dominique Fluker, Essence, 7 July 2025 The resulting pressures are that taxpayers must voluntarily report this income, which puts tremendous pressure on them to track their records and honestly report their income. Nathan Goldman, Forbes.com, 7 July 2025 And, honestly, how has that guy not been an All-Star yet? Chad Jennings, New York Times, 7 July 2025 See All Example Sentences for honestly

Word History

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of honestly was in the 14th century

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Honestly.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/honestly. Accessed 10 Jul. 2025.

Kids Definition

honestly

adverb
hon·​est·​ly ˈän-əst-lē How to pronounce honestly (audio)
1
: in an honest manner: as
a
: without cheating
counted the votes honestly
b
: actually, genuinely
was honestly scared
2
: to be honest : to tell the truth
honestly, I don't understand it
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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